United News of Bangladesh

A meeting of the cabinet was held on Thursday evening at the Cabinet Room of the Jatiya Sangsad Bhaban with Prime Minister Tarique Rahman in the chair. The meeting started around 7:15pm, according to a press release issued by the Prime Minister's Office. Ministers and senior officials concerned participated in the meeting.

At least 25 people have been bitten by a stray dog in Muksudpur municipality of Gopalganj over the past three days, health officials said. The incidents occurred from June 15 to 17 in different areas, including Komlapur, Chandibardi and Tengrakhola. The victims received treatment and anti-rabies vaccines at the Muksudpur Upazila Health Complex. Locals said a “rabid” dog has been roaming several areas of the municipality, attacking pedestrians indiscriminately. Residents said the dog has been biting school students and passers-by, causing deep injuries and creating panic among locals. “There is a rabid dog roaming around the municipality’s key areas. It is attacking anyone it encounters,” said Mir Habibullah, a resident of the Chandibardi area. He added that fear has gripped the entire municipality due to repeated attacks. Upazila Health and Family Planning Officer Dr Raihan Islam Shovon said they have treated 25 people injured in dog bites over the last three days and provided anti-rabies vaccines. He also urged residents to remain cautious and avoid contact with stray dogs.

Bangladesh and the United Kingdom on Thursday discussed the possibility of increasing bilateral trade and expanding British investment in Bangladesh, which could create new employment opportunities in the country. The issues came for discussion when British High Commissioner to Bangladesh Sarah Cooke met Prime Minister Tarique Rahman at his Jatiya Sangsad Bhaban office, according to press release issued by the Prime Minister’s Office. During the meeting, the British envoy expressed hope that relations between Bangladesh and the United Kingdom will be further strengthened under the current government. A proposal was made at the meeting for British cooperation in technical educational institutions and training programmes. Sarah Cooke further expressed interest in British investment in the aviation sector after the launch of the third terminal of Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport. Foreign Minister Dr Khalilur Rahman and Prime Minister’s Adviser on Foreign Affairs Humaiun Kobir were present at the meeting.

Bangladesh and China on Thursday stressed the importance of expanding cooperation in trade and commerce, investment, technical education and people-to-people exchanges. The two sides discussed the issues when Chinese Ambassador to Bangladesh Yao Wen met Prime Minister Tarique Rahman at his Jatiya Sangsad Bhaban office, according to press release issued by the Prime Minister’s Office. At the beginning of the meeting, the Chinese envoy congratulated Bangladesh on the election of Foreign Minister Dr Khalilur Rahman as president of the 81st session of the United Nations General Assembly.  

The prime accused in a case filed over the murder of seven-year-old girl Nandini Kanta Roy in Aditmari upazila of Lalmonirhat district reportedly confessed to this crime before a court on Wednesday. Bidhan Chandra Roy, 22, made a confessional statement before the court of Senior Judicial Magistrate Md Alauddin in the afternoon, said Superintendent of Police of the district Md Ashduszaman. After recording his statement, the court sent the accused to jail. His father Ranjit Chadra Roy was also sent to jail. On Tuesday, police recovered the body of Nandini Roy from a maize field at Folimari village under Bhelabari union, a day after she went missing. The SP said the accused confessed to committing the murder over a family dispute. Although the accused denied sexually assaulting the child, the matter will be clarified after the post-mortem report and further investigation, he said. Meanwhile, victim’s mother Sabitri Rani claimed that Bidhan killed her daughter reportedly over a gold earring weighing just one and a half tolas. "My daughter called him uncle. He even joined us in searching for her on the first day after she went missing. I want justice and the highest punishment for those who took away my child,” she said. Nandini's father Nalini Kanta Roy also demanded capital punishment for the accused, saying he could not understand why his daughter was targeted. Meanwhile, Disaster Management and Relief Minister Asadul Habib Dulu said the trial of the murder case will be completed quickly. He made the comments after visiting the victim’s family in the afternoon. The minister said Prime Minister Tarique Rahman has directed for standing by Nandini’s family and ensuring all necessary assistance. “In line with the Prime Minister’s directive, we have come here along with three Members of Parliament.” Police arrested Bidhan Chandra Roy and his father from the spot in connection with the incident and the victim’s father filed a case over the incident. A clash broke out between police and some agitated villagers when police were taking the two suspects to the police station from the scene, leaving 30 people, including the SP and Officer-in-Charge (OC) of Aditmari Police Station, injured. During the violence, seven vehicles, including those used by the deputy commissioner (DC) and SL, were also vandalised. Police and the district administration have formed separate probe committees to look into the incident.    

Nearly two in three adolescent girls in rural Bangladesh experience menstrual disorders, with many facing disruptions to their daily activities and education, according to a new study conducted by the International Centre for Diarrhoeal Disease Research, Bangladesh (icddr,b). The findings were unveiled on Thursday at a dissemination seminar held at the Canada Club in Dhaka, where health experts, policymakers, government officials and development partners discussed the current state of adolescent health in the country. The findings stem from the AdSEARCH study, a 24-month cohort study involving 2,713 adolescents from icddr,b’s Baliakandi Health and Demographic Surveillance System (HDSS). Data were collected every four months between 2023 and 2025. One component followed 1,255 adolescent girls aged 12–16 years and found that 64% of them experienced at least one menstrual disorder. Painful periods, or dysmenorrhoea, were the most common condition, affecting 56% of girls. One in three experienced painful periods during three or more menstrual cycles over the study period, while 9% reported persistent menstrual pain. Nearly 40% girls said menstrual pain interfered with daily activities, and around one in four missed school because of period pain or heavy bleeding. Among girls with persistent menstrual pain, 43% also experienced additional menstrual complications. A separate analysis involving 1,077 unmarried adolescents aged 16 years from Baliakandi and Rajbari, revealed major gaps in reproductive health knowledge. More than one-third of boys, 34%, did not know that girls can become pregnant after the onset of menstruation, compared  with 16% of girls. Awareness of family planning methods was also limited, particularly among  girls. While 84% of boys had heard of condoms, only 45% of girls had, and only 4% of girls knew about emergency contraceptive pills compared with 38% of boys. The findings suggest that reproductive health knowledge before marriage may influence later  outcomes. Girls who knew about family planning before marriage were about half as likely to  experience an unplanned pregnancy as those who lacked such knowledge, 5% compared with  10%. During the follow-up period, nearly 200 girls were married and 72 became pregnant,  underscoring the need for accurate reproductive health information before marriage. The event also highlighted two AdSEARCH innovations aimed at improving adolescents’ access to reliable information on sexual and reproductive health, safety, and wellbeing. These included a smartphone-based learning project in Matlab, which was preferred by 83% of participants,  and Koishor-Kotha, a free Bangla-language mobile app featuring animated videos, infographics, and myth-versus-fact explainers. The event concluded with a panel discussion moderated by Dr Fauzia Akhter Huda, Scientist at icddr,b. Discussants included Professor Dr Farhana Dewan, former President of the Obstetrical and  Gynaecological Society of Bangladesh; Syed Md Nuruddin, Advisor on Sexual and Reproductive Health  and Rights at Plan International; Nondini Lopa, Country Coordinator for the Global Financing Facility at  the World Bank; Dr Md Manjur Hossain, Assistant Director of the MCH Service Unit at DGFP; and Dr Asif Iqbal, Assistant Director for School Health at DGHS. During the panel discussion, Professor Dr Farhana Dewan called for greater attention to menstrual health stigma, particularly among adolescent girls in rural areas. Syed Md Nuruddin underscored the  need to prevent child marriage through school-based communication, girls’ education, and engagement of both girls and boys. Dr Md Manjur Hossain emphasised that family planning information must reach girls before marriage, noting that DGFP is working to incorporate pre-marital counselling into its  curriculum. Dr Asif Iqbal shared ongoing government efforts to expand adolescent-friendly health services and improve access to SRHR information. In his remarks Edward Cabrera, First Secretary - Development (Health), High Commission of Canada to Bangladesh highlighted Global Affairs Canada's commitment to adolescent SRHR in Bangladesh. The findings call for stronger investment in adolescent health education and services, including menstrual health support, reproductive health information, and adolescent-friendly care, so that young people can make informed decisions and stay healthy.

The Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) has brought back four members of a family from a group of nine people stranded at the no-man’s land along the Roumari border in Kurigram following a push-in attempt by India's Border Security Force (BSF). However, five others have remained stranded at the border. Following a flag meeting between BGB and BSF around 11:30pm on Wednesday, Belal Hossain, his wife Sumi Akter and their two children were brought back from the zero line on humanitarian ground, said Lt Col Hasanur Rahman, commanding officer of the 35 BGB Battalion in Jamalpur. They were later handed over to Roumari Police Station. Police finally handed them over to their relatives after completing formalities. Local sources said the family had been staying at the zero line for the past five days. The remaining five people were still living under the open sky in difficult conditions, exposed to sun and rain. However, no final decision has yet been made regarding the return of the other five people still stranded at the border. The incident began on Sunday morning when an alleged attempt was made to push nine Bengali-speaking people into Bangladesh through the border. They became stranded at the zero line after BGB prevented their entry. Hasanur Rahman said high-level discussions between the two sides are continuing to resolve the matter peacefully.  

The Criminal Investigation Department (CID) has arrested two individuals for allegedly cheating a Bangladeshi expatriate out of money by promising jobs and permanent residency opportunities in Australia, according to a press release issued by the CID Media Wing on Thursday. The arrested are Rakibul Hasan, 26, of Nilphamari, and Roni Islam, 19, of Rangpur. CID’s Cyber Police Centre (CPC) conducted a raid on June 17 in Syedpur upazila of Nilphamari and arrested them, seizing six mobile phones and 12 SIM cards used in the crime. According to the case statement, the victim, an Omani expatriate, was contacted by an acquaintance who introduced a man claiming to be an Australia-based contact offering job placement services. The victim was later persuaded through mobile phone, Imo, WhatsApp and Messenger communications to send Tk 146,400 in stages for processing, visa and application fees. CID said the accused used fake identities and social media platforms, including a fraudulent Facebook page, to lure victims with promises of Australian employment and work permits. They also used foreign numbers and messaging apps to gain trust. Investigators found that Roni Islam posed as an Australia-based contact, while Rakibul Hasan assisted in receiving and transferring the fraudulently collected money through mobile financial services. CID said efforts are underway to arrest other members of the gang, and investigations are ongoing.

Liberation War Affairs Minister Ahmed Azam Khan on Thursday told Parliament that 13,324 July warriors are now receiving monthly honorarium and the process of bringing the remaining July fighters under the allowance programme is underway.   “Out of the total 14,369 people gazetted as July Warriors, 13,344 are being given monthly allowance (Tk 20,000 per person for A-class, Tk 15,000 per person for B-class, Tk 10,000 per person for C-class) through their own bank accounts. The process of giving the allowance to the remaining July Warriors is underway,” he said. The Minister said this while replying to a scripted question from opposition lawmaker Rokeya Begum (Women Seat-45) in the House. Speaker Hafiz Uddin Ahmad tabled the question-and-answer session, immediately after the day’s business started in the afternoon. Azam Khan focused on the government’s long-term plans for medical rehabilitation, employment and monthly honorarium for the fighters injured in the July uprising He said a database of 3,241 interested persons has been created for the welfare and rehabilitation of the families of July martyrs and July fighters. Out of this, a list of 1,937 persons have been sent to the Ministry of Youth and Sports for training and rehabilitation. 478 persons already dropped from list of freedom fighters: In reply to a starred question from treasury bench member Mostafizur Rahman Babul (Jamalpur-3), the Liberation War Affairs Minister said 478 names have already been removed from the list of freedom fighters. Noting that the Jatiya Muktijoddha Council was reconstituted and four sub-committees comprised of members of the Council are now scrutinising genuine freedom fighters, war-wounded freedom fighters and martyred freedom fighters. “Already, the gazette/red notice/Indian list of 478 people have been cancelled. More cancellations are in process,” he said. Besides, Azam Khan said the applications from freedom fighters who could not be listed yet are being scrutinized. 6,787 martyred FFs in Bangladesh gazette: Responding to another starred question from ruling party lawmaker Ruhul Amin Dulal (Pirojpur-3), the Liberation War affairs Minister said the names of 6,787 martyred freedom fighters were included in the Bangladesh gazette. “The names of 6,787 people, who had participated in the 1971 Liberation War and were martyred, have been included in the Bangladesh Gazette,” he said. He said the government is positive for the preparation of a list of victims to genocide during the Liberation War and the programme will be taken in phases. In reply to a starred question from BNP lawmaker Faridul Kabir Talukder (Jamalpur-4), the minister said the current government has increased the monthly honorarium by Tk 5000 for a gallantry title-winning freedom fighter in the upcoming 2026-2027 fiscal year. The monthly honorarium would be Tk 40,000 for the families of a Bir Shrestho recipient, Tk 30,000 for Bir Uttam recipient, Tk 25,000 for Bir Bikram recipient and Tk 25,000 Bir Pratik recipient.

Newly appointed Chief of the International Organization for Migration (IOM) in Bangladesh Dr Laura Tomm Bonde on Thursday reaffirmed IOM’s readiness to support Bangladesh in enhancing regular migration pathways and advancing whole-of-government and regional approaches to climate mobility. Presenting her credentials to Foreign Minister Dr Khalilur Rahman, she talked about climate-induced displacement and disaster risks stemming from Bangladesh’s exposure to climate shocks such as floods, cyclones, droughts, and salinity intrusion. “I sincerely welcome Dr Laura Tomm Bonde to Bangladesh as the Chief of Mission and look forward to continuing the strong partnership between the Government of Bangladesh and IOM,” said the Foreign Minister. Dr Bonde assumes her role at a pivotal time, as Bangladesh navigates diverse migration dynamics from expanding opportunities for safe and regular labour migration to hosting over one million Rohingyas who fled violence in Myanmar, one of the largest protracted displacement situations globally. A Canadian citizen, Dr Bonde previously served as IOM Chief of Mission in Mozambique for six and a half years, said the UN agency. “The overall migration landscape in Bangladesh is highly dynamic and presents both opportunities and challenges,” said Dr Bonde. “I look forward to working closely with the Government to ensure that the migrants’ rights are protected and that migration contributes meaningfully to sustainable development through well governed and inclusive migration systems,” she added. The new IOM Chief of Mission reaffirmed the Organization’s continued commitment to supporting the Government of Bangladesh across the full migration cycle, including strengthening safe and regular labour migration, enhancing health and pre-departure services, reinforcing border governance, and supporting protection and reintegration for vulnerable migrants. She underscored IOM’s continued prioritization of the Rohingya response, delivering life-saving assistance and supporting affected host communities in Cox’s Bazar.